Display-rack.



R. W. SOWERS.

DISPLAY'BAGK.

APPLICATION FILED HA3. 4, 19 12. I

Patented July 23, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

51 3110M MW 14 v v ad 5h.

COLUMBIA PMNOGRAPH 120., WASHINGTON D c W. SOWERS.

DISPLAY RACK. APPLIOATION FILED MARA, 1912.

Patented July 23 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

11 N 5140mm;

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co, WASHINGTON, D, C.

ROBERT W. SOWERS, 0F CI-IA'ITANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

DISPLAY-RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1912.

Application filed March 4, 1912. Serial No. 681,501.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT WV. SoWERs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Display- Racks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

My improvement relates particularly to racks used for holding and displaying ready-made clothing in stores.

The object of the improvement is to provide a rack in which a large number of pieces of ready-made clothing may be stored and displayed without being damaged by folding or by being covered with dust.

The rack is so organized as to adapt it to construction chiefly of ordinary metal piping and couplings and similar stock material.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rack embodying my improvement, the cloth cover being in the unfolded position; Fig. 2 is a section on the line, 22, of Fig. 3, looking downward; Fig. 3 is an end elevation, the cover being shown by dotted lines and folded at one side; Fig. 4 is a side elevation, portions being broken away; Fig. 5 is a section on the line, 55, of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a section on the line, 66, of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is a horizontal section through the cross-forn1 con nection shown at the middle of Fig. 2. Fig. 8, is an uprightsection through the coupling, 18, lengthwise of the cross bar, 11, in Fig. 3.

The apparatus comprises a frame work and a cloth cover, the frame work having horizontal rails or members from which pieces of clothing may be suspended by ordinary clothes hangers and said frame also having folding wing frames for supporting the sides .of the cover. Said wing frames are the only portions of the frame which are moved or adjusted during the use of the rack. Other portions of the rack may be made detachable or foldable to any desired extent to adapt the rack to occupy reduced space during storage or transportation.

In the form shown in the drawings, a base is formed by three horizontal cross pieces, 1, two horizontal longitudinal pieces, 2, couplings, 3 and 4, and couplings, 5. The two end cross pieces, 1, extend through the T-form couplings, 3, and are held immovably therein by keys or pins, 6. The middle cross piece, 1, extends through the middle coupling, 4, and is immovably secured therein by means of a key or pin, 6. (See Figs. 6 and 7.) The horizontal pieces, 2, are screw-threaded into the couplings, 3 and 4. The ends of the cross pieces, 1, are screw-threaded into the horizontal arms of the couplings, 5.

The lower end of each of six upright columns or standards, 7, is screw-threaded into the upright arm of one of the couplings, 5. A roller, 8, is suitably secured to the lower arm of each of the couplings, 5. The upper end of each of the columns or standards, 7, extends loosely into a corner coupling, 9, as shown in detail in Fig. 5; and

each of the middle standards, 7, extends loosely into a T-coupling, 10. At each end of the frame, an upper cross piece, 11, extends from one coupling, 9, to the other and is rigidly secured thereto. A bar or rail, 12, extends from each corner coupling through the adjacent coupling, 10, to the corresponding coupling, 9, at the other end of the frame, the ends of said bars being suitably secured to said couplings, 9, preferably by screw-threading; and said bar or rail is also suit-ably secured in the coupling 10. From each coupling, 9, rises a short column or post, 13, upon the upper end of which is mounted an elbow, 14, which is directed outward and supports a horizontal arm, 15, upon which is an elbow, 16, which is directed toward the opposite end of the frame and receives one end of a horizontal bar or rail, 17. On each upper cross bar, 11, midway between the ends of the latter, is a T-form coupling, 18, from which rises a post or column, 19, the upper end of which supports an elbow, 20. A bar or rail, 21, extends from one of the elbows, 20, to the other of said elbows and is suitably secured thereto, preferably by screw-threading. The lower ends of the posts, 19, telescope into the upright arms of the couplings, 18. (Fig. 8).

The structure thus far described constitutes the stationary portion of the frame when the rack is in use; butit is to be observed that the parts, 19, elbows, 20, and bar, 21 constitute a detachable part of the frame, and that the couplings, 9 and 10, bars, 11, posts or standards, 13, elbows, 14, arms, 15, elbows, 16, bars or rails, 17, and couplings, 18, constitute a portion of the frame which is detachable from the standards, T. Furthermore, after the above1nentioned portions of the frame have been removed from the upper ends of the standards, '7, the latter may be turned downward into the horizontal position, this involving turning the couplings, 5, on the screw threads formed on the ends of the cross pieces, 1. This divides the stationary portion of the frame into three parts adapted to be secured to each other in relatively compact form by tying or crating. The wings hereinafter described may be detached from the main frame and tied or crated with the other parts.

At each side of the main frame, a wing is hinged to the end standards, 7 Each such wing has at each end an arm, 22, located in a plane which is upright and is parallel to and passes the end of the main frame and having one end hinged at 23 to the post or standard, '7. To the other end of each of the arms, is secured rigidly a horizontal bar or rail, 2-1. Said arms, 22, and said bar, 24, together constitute a broad U-form wing piece turnable on a line extending through the hinges, 23, 23. A supplen'iental wing section is formed by means of arms, 25, hinged at 26, by one end to the arms, 22, and a bar or rail, 27, having its ends joined to the free ends of the arms, This portion of the wing is adapted to turn upon the hinges, 26, and fold :tlatwise against the main portion of the wing as shown in the left-hand portion of Fig. 3, or to stand in the horizontalposition while the main portion of said wing directed downward, as shown in the right-hand portion. of Fig. 3.

The relative dimensions of the parts of the main frame and the wings are such as to make the distancebetween the hinge line, 23, and the wing bars, 24. and 27, a little more than the distance between said hinge line and the secondary cover rail, 17, and less than the distance between said hinge line and the primary coyer-supporting member, 21, in order that the wing may be turned upward across the secondary cover rail, 17, and the arms, 15, and rest against or near the posts or standards, 19, below the primary cover-supporting member, 21, as will be hereinafter described. At the same time the secondary cover rail, 17, of the primary cover-supporting member, 21., is higher than said garn'ient rail, 12, in order that the cover may be supported high enough to avoid contact with the hangers and the garments supported by said garment rail.

The cover, 28, is formed of cloth or similar material and extends across the top of the frame and downward over the sides of the frame, almost tot-he base of the latter, resting on the ridge rail, 21, and the side rails, 17. For convenience, the middle or ridge rail, 21, may be termed the primary cover-supporting member, while the side rails, 17, are termed the secondary coversupporting members or rails or secondary cover rails. The upper portion of said cover is suitably secured to the frame to prevent slipping when the wings are being folded and unfolded. This may be accomplished by securing the cover to the primary coversupporting member, 21, or to the posts or standards, 19. The cover is also secured to the bars or rails, 27 and 2d, of the wings when the latter are in the position shown at the right in Fig. 3, and the cover has been folded. This may be effected by sewing or tying. The cover also extends across the ends of the frame, so that the entire cover is similar to an inverted bag. Each end of the cover has a slit, 29, extending from the bottom upward. The edges of said slit may be secured to each other by buttons, 30, or other means.

When the cover is to be raised at either side, the edges of the cover are released along the slit, 29, and the bar, 21, is then pushed upward until the arms, 25, are folded against the arms, 22. Then the entire wing is raised further, turning on the axis, 23, until the wing has passed over the secondary cover rail, 17, and rests against or near the upright standards, 19. During such movement, the cover cloth is lifted and folded in the space above the cross piece, 11, and at the side of the posts or standards, 19. In such folding, the portion of the cover between the adjacent cover rail, 17, and the primary rail, 21, (when the cover is unfolded) sags downward, and when the folding has been completed, the portion, 31, of the cover adjacent the primary rail, 21, will assume a nearly upright position upon which the lower portions of said cover do not encroach. Said portion of the cover is so drawn as to be substantially fiat and is, accordingly, adapted to receive any sign or legend and leave the same exposed to View when the wings are in either the lower or upper position.

The two rails, 12, are used for supp0rting garments, and they may therefore be called garment rails. They are at such height above the lower position of the wing bars, 24, as is suited for the hanging of garments applied to any ordinary form of garment hanger, 32, the latter being hung to one of said rails. In the right-hand portion of Fig. 3, a coat is shown thus suspended from the garment rail at the side of the frame. The two garment rails, 12, 12, are separated far enough to prevent garments on either side from extending across the middle, upright, longitudinal. plane of the rack, so that the garments hung from one of said rails will not encroach upon the space intended for the garments on the other of said rails. And the arms, 15 and 25, are made long enough to bring the bars or rails, 17 and 27 outward, from the adjacent garment rail far enough to allow the cover, 28, and the rail, 27, to clear garments hung on said garment rail. It has been found in practice that for the keeping of the garments in good condition, it is important that they are not touched by the cover.

A large number of garments may be hung on each garment rail, 12; the hangers, 32, being placed crosswise of the length of said rails and near each other. When in that position, a single garment cannot readily be inspected; but each secondary cover rail, 17, constitutes a supplemental garment rail when the cover, 28, has been folded at the side of the rack. For then said rail, 17, is uncovered and clear and adapted to receive any garment hanger which it is desired to transfer from the adjacent garment rail, 12. hen so transferred, the garment supported by said hanger may readily be inspected. For the purpose of simultaneous comparison and mspection, several garments may in this manner be transferred from one of the garment rails, 12, to the adjacent cover rail, 17.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a display rack, the combination of an upright main frame comprising a horizontal garment rail, a horizontal primary cover-supporting member at one side of and parallel to and higher than the garment rail, a secondary cover rail at the opposite side of and higher than said garment rail, a wing hinged to the main frame below said cover rail and adapted to extend clownward and to be turned upward across said cover rail, and a cover, substantially as described.

2. In a display rack, the combination of an upright main frame comprising a horizontal garment rail, a horizontal primary cover-supporting member at one side of and parallel to and higher than the garment rail, a secondary cover rail at the opposite side of and higher than said garment rail,

downward and to be turned upward across said cover rail, and a cover, substantially as described.

3. In a display rack, the combination of a main frame comprising a horizontal garment rail, a horizontal primary cover-supporting member at one side of and parallel to and higher than the garment rail, a secondary cover rail at the opposite side of and higher than said garment rail, a wing hinged to said frame, and a cover, the rela tive dimensions and positions of said portions of said frame and of said wing being such as to make the distance between the hinge line of the wing and the horizontal Wing bar a little more than the distance between said hinge line and the secondary cover rail and less than the distance between said hinge line and the primary cover-supporting member, substantially as described.

4. In a display rack, the combination of a main frame comprising a horizontal garment rail, a horizontal primary cover-supporting member at one side of and parallel to and higher than the garment rail, a secondary cover rail at the opposite side of and higher than said garment rail, a twopart wing hinged to said frame, and a cover, the relative dimensions and positions of said portions of said frame and of said wing being such as to make the distance between the hinge line of the wing and the horizontal wing bars a little more than the distance between said hinge line and the secondary cover rail and less than the distance between said hinge line and the primary cover-supporting member, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 19th day of Feby, in the year one thousand nine hundred and twelve.

ROBERT W. SOWERS.

WVitnesses:

W. S. PALMER, R. H. LovEJoY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

'washington, D. G. 

